Coffee? Tea? Serenity?

Late yesterday evening, I received a call from Mom.  She wanted to share with me their supper excitement.  She prepared supper.  She ate.  Dad was tuned in to the financial station on tv while sipping a glass of wine.  She went into the kitchen to begin the supper dishes.  She tossed out the left overs.  She fed them to the dog.  As she was doing so, she noticed that there appeared to be a bit more leftovers than what she had anticipated while she prepared the meal.  Upon realizing that Dad had perhaps not eated, she asked.  Sure enough, he had not.  Evidently, they do not dine together.  The dog enjoyed a carefully prepared meal while Dad had a quickly fixed low fat turkey and egg sandwhich. 

Not the worst news; not the best news. 

I have a minimal herniated disc at L4-5 (lower back). 

I have a moderately herniated disc at C5-6 (neck) with displacement of the cord. 

The thoracic vertebrae (mid section) were not included in the MRI. 

The strangeness of it all is that the symptoms I've had in the neck have been minimal, but the lower back and sciatic area are where I am currently having the moderate symptoms which caused me to seek treatment. 

I am having to digest a lot of information and advice.  This news means a complete lifestyle change for me - no lifting of over 20 pounds, no horse riding, no mower riding and living with caution in all activities.  A sudden jolt to the neck could send me into severe pain and immediate need for surgery.  A sudden jolt even by a sneeze or cough could cause this.  OR, I could live forever without having that happen at all. 

I've cried a river of tears.  I'm only 41! 

I've praised God because the news could have been much worse.

I sit here in almost a stunned shock.

The more I think, the more questions I have.

The more I think, the more I pray. 

Yesterday was a beautiful day.  I headed outside to enjoy the beauty and a walk.  As I exited the door, Scott, already outside, asked if he could SADDLE his horse.  Earlier he and I talked about the possibility of him saddling the horse and working the horse, but NOT riding the horse.  I guess the saddled horse was too tempting to pass up.  He mounted the horse.  If you are a mother, you know that we sometimes get this gut feeling which warns us about certain things; that gut feeling that says we should halt the activity.  That gut feeling happened as I saw him MOUNTING the horse.  Thinking that I was just being silly because of my own circumstances, I didn't heed the gut feeling; I let him ride.  I could tell that his concentration on the horse was not focused at it should be.  I could tell that he was not paying close attention to the horse's reactions to the bit.  I could tell that Scott was not riding as well as he normally does.  I could see that he was not preparing for stops as he should.  I made a few comments.  Did he listen to them?  You must think!  Moments later, I see the result of that lack of concentration and lack of following Mom's advice.  He had the horse in a slow run.  He was not in rhythm with the horse's steps.  He was bouncing too much.  He pulled back on the reins.  He lunges forward.  He lands atop the saddle horn.  I couldn't help but laugh.  The silly thing almost flew over the horses head because he did not prepare for the stop that he demanded from the horse!  He continued to ride, so I figured there was no serious injury as a result of this riding error.  I went into the house to go about my own business.

A short while later, I see him walking, leading the horse, and limping.  I called out to him and asked what was wrong.  He placed his hand in the lower buttock area and said to me that he feels a "pulling".  A WHAT!  In a tone which indicated to him that there was no room for debate, I told him to unsaddle the horse and get inside so that we could analyze the injury.  The look on his face indicated that he wanted to laugh, but knew better.  After some time of moving, walking, and sitting, he headed to the back of the house.  I assumed he was in his bedroom.  A short while later, he enters the kitchen and says, "Didn't effect the poop shooter!"  Hmm....did that event scare the poop out of you, Scott?

After determining that his injury appeared to be on the mild side, I reminded him of the many times his dad and I have cautioned him about riding and not being aware of the horse, of how quickly a fun ride can turn into something dangerous, and many other safety tips that we have poured upon him.  The boy was a tad irritated with this and in a voice of authority said, "Whoa!" as I spoke.  Well, not being prepared for the halting horse was not the only mistake he made on this day.  "I am MOM, not horse; priviledges lost; punished; don't ask!" were basically the words that erupted from me.

Mike entered from work.  We shared the story with him.  He gave his fatherly advice.  We had supper.  When he was finished eating, Scott stood from the table in a stance that indicated he was having what appeared to be a Charley Horse in the injured area.  As parents who have repeatedly poured out advice and wisdom to our growing son, our thoughts and words were, "Will you focus while riding, next time?"  He hears us today. He feels the effects of not listening, today. Will he heed that advice in the future?

Of course, we are concerned about him.  We will have to monitor the injury and the area carefully to be sure that this is only a minor injury, but the scenarious are so very coincidental.  Although I did not land upon the saddle horn, the areas that he and I are sharing discomfort in are very similar.  A bit scary for me to think that he could have the same injury to the sciatic nerve.  I prayed immediately, "God, let him be ok!"  I prayed later, "God, don't let the be serious!"  I pray this morning as I type, "God, let him wake with only the memory as a lesson and permit him to be healed of the pain."

Ephesians 22:6 says, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."   Perhaps Scott does not listen and focus well today, but I can see him as a very fine young man counseling his children in the very same way that we do with him.  Thank you, God, for that vision.  Without it, I might feel that parenting is as one might say, "spinning your wheels".

the sweet little clerk at your local pharmacy says that she hopes its a good while before they see me again.  Yep, I got the big bad bug that has been festering around my home.  I used the disinfectant wipes, I used the disinfectant spray, I used the disinfectant hand sanitizer, but still the bug bit me and bit me rather hard.

On Saturday, about mid-morning, I began to run a fever.  Although it was only a low grade temperature, I had seen what it had done to Mike and Scott, so I headed to the pharmacy to fill the prescription that our doctor had given me when he saw Scott.  I had a good laugh with the clerk there.  Her sweet personality spoke much love in saying that she hoped we were ALL better and not in need for medicine for quite a while.  After the pharmacy, I went to the grocery store to stock up on more juices, lemons, honey, and other home remedies for the flu/cold.  With all of the items on the conveyer belt, the clerk there knew what was up at our house.  She, too, wished us well.

On Sunday, Mike was wiped out from having worked all week with this dredful bug beating him down.  Scott was still running fever and feeling under the weather.  I woke with a nose that could have flooded the state.  It was not long before I headed for the medicine cabinet to find the sinus meds that the doctor had given me not long ago.  Even after having taken that, it was not long before I had used all of the box of tissues.  I wreaked of menthol oitment, but did not feel too very bad.  Yesterday, the biggest issue was that each time I sneezed or coughed, every muscle that had begun to heal was being strained again.  UGH!  With the warm temperature outside, I slipped on my tennis shoes and headed outdoors for a good walk which both the chiropractor and massage therapist had prescribed.  That really was the best medicine of the day.

Today, I feel like I've been run over by a train.  Last night, I woke several times.  One of which was to change my soaked bed clothes.  I was actually quite excited with having to do this task.  I thought that by morning the fever would be gone from having "sweat it out".  No such luck.  The fever returned by 9am.  With the fever, sore muscles, pulling back, and all of the other achy yuk stuff, I feel completely drained.  Even so, I was able to bring myself to head outdoors again for a good walk. 

On a good note:  The weather has been very cold and rainy, therefore I could not get outdoors to do the recommended walking.  The warmer weather has allowed me to do so.  While walking, I was able to smile and thank God for having less pain while doing so.  The musles still want to spasm, but the pain is much less. 

Another good note:  After beginning the chiropractor, the moment I set my feet upon the floor in the mornings, or any time during the day, I had to wear SHOES.  I am usually barefooted.  That in itself was annoying.  If I did not wear the shoes, I felt discomfort in the tailbone and hip area.  Today, I was able to walk without shoes and not have that discomfort.  My toesies is happy.

Psalm 147:1  For it is good to sing parises to our God; For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful. 

WOW!  What great talents God disperses for us to help us rise back up when we are down.

Although I had heard many other people speak of massages they had, I had never had one.  I knew a little of what to expect, but you know.....the first time for anything always produces a certain amount of apprehension.  My apprehension was immediately shoved aside within the first few moments of sharing words with the therapist (I'll call her Ms. P.)  She asked my reasons for being there.  I gave a very brief version of what I have been experiencing during the last couple of months.  She immediately said, "That's the sciatic nerve!"  At this point, the diagnosis and name of the muscle matters very little.  My question was, "Can you get me back in shape and to a point of being pain free?"  And the healing began.  That is the only way that I can describe the entire session.  Healing!  She focused on the areas that have been hurting me.  She gave me some no-nos for my condition.  She demonstrated the kind of stretches that I could continue at home.  She also warned me that muscle soreness will probably be felt during the next couple of days.  I left her session 99% pain free.  During the remainder of the day, I did notice some pains return, but very slightly.  They were just enough to be a reminder of what she recommended and warned me of.  I was really waiting to wake this morning with some severe soreness in the hip and sciatic area.  Nope.  None there; at least not yet.  BUT, in the muscle area under and near the shoulder blades, it feels like someone took a bat to me during the night.  I was so focused on what she was doing in the hip and leg area that I almost forgot that she had also worked around the shoulder blades.  The muscles had no mercy in reminding me.

Throughout the afternoon and still this morning, I am thanking God for "talking" to me throughout my time of discomfort.  Because the area of pains were so broad, I had no way of determining what the exact cause was.  He not only talked to me in his still quiet voice, but through the voices of loved ones as well.  From the get go, Mike insisted that I needed a chiropractor.  From the get go, I had the instictive feeling that I had pulled a muscle.  Shortly after seeing the OB/GYN who recommended a hysterectomy, a concerned family member of my sister-in-law who saw me walking in church called her to send word to me that I did not need the GYN, but someone to help with a sciatic problem.  Today, I sit in awe thinking back on the many prayers I said relating to my situation...Lord, show me what is wrong.  Lord, lead me to the place where YOUR healing is in store for me.  Lord, PAY MY BILLS!....whew!  Healing is coming along quiet well, but the $$$ are soaring out of our pocket books at rocket speed!  Lord, I trust that you WILL spread the available funds wisely upon our monthly obligations and those required for healing as well.

Mike is doing better.  Still has a little bit of the cold left to fight, but improved much since Monday.

Scott is quite frustrated with his symptoms.  On Thursday, as soon as we returned home, I made him take the antibiotic that he was prescribed.  I explained that the sooner it is started, the sooner you'll feel better.  A few hours later, he says, "Mom, this medicine is NOT working!  I do NOT feel better yet".  In the kind of laugh that only a mother can keep quiet, I explained how antibiotics sometimes take a few days to begin their healing.  The cough that I heard while he slept was soothed by OTC cough syrup, warm juices, and warm teas.  The fever has begun to subside as well.

This morning, it is I who feels those cold and cough symptoms sneaking up.  It is I who is drinking the warm drinks, gargling frantically, and praying that I can fight this bug in a really, really, quick way.  It is quite frustrating to be feeling "under the weather" after having walked the journey that I have in the last couple of months.  Please LORD, smack that germ right out of me, out of my house, out of my loved ones, out of K. and Z. who are also feeling under the weather, and into the marshes to sink in the muck and be gone for good!

I understand that rain is once again in the forecast for our area.  I pray that with that rain the many strains of germs that are hanging around and making all of us sick are washed away!

May health and prosperity be at our sides, at our backs, and at our forefronts so that we can always sing praises to Our Lord for the goondess that he rains down upon us - even when we are feeling too yucky to realize them.

Ultrasound 

Yesterday, January 31st, I had an ultrasound done at Dr. Foreman's office.  The purpose of this ultrasound was to check the ovaries for cysts or anything else that might be of concern or the cause of the pains that I have had, and occasionally still have, in my right side.  The ultrasound found nothing.  Everything looks good in that area.  Because I had a bladder infection in December, I asked them to check that once again to make sure that all was clear there too.  Clear! Thank you, Jesus, for the the clean bill of health.  Since nothing has been detected that might cause the pains I am having, I continue to believe that I yanked some muscles and the spinal area past their limits.  Since they are helping the situation to improve, I will continue the visits to the chiropractor.

A very dear friend of mine phoned me within the last few days to see how I was coming along.  As she and I talked, we learned that the symptoms I started out with and continue to have are ditto to those that she had several years back.  She also had several medical tests done in an effort to find the cause all of which found nothing that would be the cause.  She was able to have her situation corrected with chiropractic care and massage therapy.  She highly recommended that I give the massage therapy a try - IF my chiropractor said it would be a positive addition to his treatments.  During my chiropractor visit following that converstion, I asked him about it.  He said that he felt, since it appears that I have a pulled muscle, that I would most probably benefit from massage therapy.  I am going to give it a try.  I am hoping that doing so helps my muscles to heal even faster than they already are.  My first sesson is later today.

Although some of the original symptoms are still present, they do not come on as frequently or as intensely.  I began this "journey" with the instincts that I pulled something out of whack.  Because of the progress I have made with the treatments I have had, I continue to believe that was the case.  Along with that, I am now having to be conscience of the adjustments made to my spine.  With those adjustments, the musles are repositioning themselves along with the bones they are attached to.  This has caused me to be aware of the movements that I make and the wisest way in which to do them.

Fire in the Kitchen

After my ultrasound, Mike had to stop in at Sears for a tool purchase.  While he was doing that, I called my parents to let them know of the good report.  It turns out that they were headed to Lafayette for a post-op appointment with Dad's surgeon.  We shared a brief conversation.  I found that both of them seemed to be very distracted during our conversation, but didn't give a whole lotta thought to it. 

After Mike completed his business at Sears, we headed home.  About ten minutes into our trip home, we meet my parents as they are heading toward Lafayette.  My cell phone rings.  Mom is NOW in a talkative mood.  During that converstaion, she shared with me how they had a fire in their kitchen.  Mom burns candles at the kitchen table.  Dad reads the newspaper at the kitchen table.  Need I say more?  Yep, you got it.  While the candle burned, Dad read the newspaper.  He got a bit too close to the candle and the news combusted.  He hurries to the kitchen sink with burning paper in hand to put out the fire.  Praise God, no injuries or other damages were done by the fire.  And all of this while Mom is having her breakfast.  Her final comment during that conversation was, "What an adjustment this retirement is!"

Dad's appointment resulted in a good report - all is healing quite well.  Once again, Dad has been advised that smoking must be eliminated from his lifesyle, diet must be followed for both heart and diabetes, and that walking a mile a day will be the best excersise for him.

Other things that we are dealing with, that some of you may have heard me mention:

• We were concerned about Scott's horse.  He appeared to be having trouble urinating.  With the financial crunch that my own health has caused, there was no $$$ for VET fees.  After prayer and adding a bit of salt onto the horses feed, we witnessed the horse urinating and he seems to be doing much better.
• Mike was scheduled to begin the process of applying a crown to a broken tooth on Tuesday, Jan. 29th.  That had to be rescheduled because during the weekend prior to that, he came down with a cold and cough.  That Monday, he had to see our family physician which prescribed antibiotics and sinus meds.
• On Wednesday, Scott woke with fever, chills, and aches.  He was in the doctor's office yesterday getting his own prescription of antibiotics and sinus meds.  I accompanied him for this visit and mentioned to the doctor that Mike was here Monday, Scott on Thursday, and asked if he could write prescriptions for myself just incase I was to follow with the same symptoms.  He laughed and did just that. 
• Shortly after leaving the doctor's office, Scott began his dry, nasty cough that usually accompanied his asthma episodes when he was a young'en.  I heard him cough on and off during the night.  Since he has not had this in a very long time, I have no meds on hand to ease that symptom other than over the counter stuff....PLEASE God, let them help him and YOU heal him.  AND, PLEASE, PLEASE PLEASE, protect me from catching what they have.  I am already not quite up to par with patience and tolerance.  THREE members in this house feeling sick and yucky might cause some type of flaming combustion of our own....but not caused by candles.

A good day to all, and may many blessings rain down upon all of us!